Storm’s younger cousin.
Vandal’s little brother.
You’ve met him in the background.
The sweet one.
The nice one.
The one they can all rely on.
The good one.
He’s a tattoo artist. He plays metal and classical music – on the violin.
He’s got a body built for sin.
He’s 24.
In comes Ivy. She’s a 36 year old single mom who hasn’t dated in 18 years.
All she wanted was a tattoo.
She got a helluva lot more 🙂
Being good has never been so bad.
4,5 stars
How does Carian Cole do it? She writes about hot guy after hot guy, each one having their own way to earn your love even if they’re so different from each other ?
Honestly Lukas is my favorite so far. He is just perfect and touched me in ways few male characters have touched me, Archer by Mia Sheridan and Ehd from Transcendance aside. He really, really, really, really (add as many as you want) is the perfect book boyfriend.
If I usually fall for the Uber Alpha males, Lukas does not fit into that category. He is better, a unique blend of innocence, fragility mixed with strength and tranquil determination. He is an old soul in a young very attractive body. I could rave for pages and pages about him because he made a huge lasting impression.
This book is not about elaborate plot or very tortured story or… it simply is about Lukas and Ivy’s burgeoning and then growing relationship. It may be simple in its idea but it’s so well executed I never felt bored, just touched to my core. I ended feeling like I do after a very good romantic movie, with a big dreamy sigh. Call me a wuss or an eternal romantic but this story had its own magic.
The beginning was more of a tragic story, Ivy discovering her despicable husband slept with a younger woman behind her back for months now. Eighteen years of marriage go down the drain.
She’s thirty six and never felt more insecure. She doubts about everything, she’s lost and can’t imagine moving on easily. When Lukas will pursue her, she’ll find all kind of good reasons not to fall for him, the age difference being the most prominent.
Lukas may be twenty four to her thirty six but he is mature beyond his age and knows what he wants: stability and a relationship. He is a family man and dreams of having his own family, preferably with Ivy. He’ll have to be very persistent to convince her. She’s head of HR, wears suits and skirts, has two kids. He has long black hair, tattoos, is young and lives from his art as a tattoo artist and musician. I loved how he pursued her, never faltering in his determination to win her. No roller-coasters, no cat and mouse games, no I want you I don’t want you, just steadfast certainty that Iva was “it” for him. It’s a nice change and gave my blood pressure some respite.
I loved how Carian chose to show love overcomes appearances, social classes and ages. We fall in love with a person no matter how her upbringing and social status can differ from ours. Unfortunately, friends and colleagues don’t see it like we do.
Like Ivy, my “heart soared from cuteness overload” charmed by such “sexy adorableness”. Lukas made me swoon, Lukas made me cry, Lukas gives the best hugs and kisses and I’m certain you’ll also want your own Lukas but not this one because he’s mine (when Ivy will be done with him but fat chance, I know)!
”Do you believe in soul mates?” His voice is low and soft, with a hint of hesitancy, like he’s afraid of what I might say. Lukas doesn’t belong her, I realized right then. He’s a Knight. A prince. A warrior. A Viking. He’s one of those men that fight for love ‘til the end of time. One who would carry a woman away on his horse and make mad passionate love to her on the grass. A man who takes what he wants and make it his forever. A man not afraid to dream or believe in what can’t be seen, but only can be felt. His heart is lost in this time, where people no longer live to love or believe that love can transcend time.”
Special order coming right away: Carian, could you send me a Lukas with the #getvandalized T shirt? 🙂
Convinced? Grab your copy HERE